Date: 11/02/23
Place: South Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA
Dear Travel Journal,
If Sarah was to read the following, very personal lines, she would surely say that all of this is just another strange manifestation of “Catholic Guilt”. Again. Can it really be that the spirit of a perpetually overwhelmed traveler, of an excited human being can become as thick and whitish-cloudy as a cup of New England Clam Chowder? That my brain, to quote Sarah once more, “goes to mush” from time to time? Apparently so. Because last Saturday should have been my Saturday. And I completely forgot it…
I had such big plans. Doing something truly and a 100% together. From brainstorming to “concept-development”. Pondering together, laughing together, being adventurous and curious – together. And then pouring all that into one, single unique and timeless blog-picture. After all those years, now that we are finally at the same place in real life – there simply has to be a creative product of “true togetherness” now. So much about my vision that I had in mind.
And then I fall into this all too well-known trap again: when circumstances feel so safe, so comfortable…and certain things can be postponed to an indefinite point in the future all too easily. Only to be forgotten afterwards, unfortunately…
But despite all that bitterness: there is also some light to be found in here. Two tiny, little sparks. Both of which make me feel lucky and thankful at the same time. Both of which work best when combined with the power of imagination.
Spark number one is that there’s still a tiny, little fragment of that shared process of creativity here! After all there was at least a little chit-chat we had about that Saturday’s photo – what it should be and what it should feature. The resulting idea was both lovely and sympathetic and goes like this: two beer enthusiasts from far away places visit this year’s, late Oktoberfest in Wakefield. Nothing would have been more obvious to use as a general theme for that particular picture than two glasses of wonderful beer. An Ale, a Lager, a Hefeweizen? Maybe even a full mug of Pumpkin Beer? It’s up to everyone’s imagionation about how the final photo might have looked like. A blurred close-up up two foamy edges of our beerglasses? The two of us, sitting back to back, enjoying marvelous products of all the local breweries? Maybe even while eating a giant pretzel? Or a bowl full of original German potato salad? Everything would have been possible…
The second (and as comforting) spark is an old Lomo camera. It’s the one on the second picture above. Our analogue companion. Something that fully embodies this aforementioned “Spirit of Togetherness” for me. It was that past Saturday when the first, finished filmroll was taken out of the camera in order to be developed at a true photoshop in all its analogue glory. At that evening neither one of us knew what these photos might look like in the end or even if any would be there at all. But more on that in a later Blog-Post. Maybe..
Dear Travel Journal,…thanks for listening…if I could give you a hug, I would do so most heartily right now. Let me end this whiny “Uh-Oh!”-entry with a quote from a movie that both Sarah and I appreciate so very much… “Are you surprised at my tears, Sir? Strong Men also cry, Mr. Lebowski. Strong Men also cry.”